Dame Wine®

Wines Made On Spanish Islands With Erupting Volcano And Tsunami Warning

Posted on December 22, 2021 by damewine

Just like there is no other color on Earth like the electric saffron hue of an erupting volcano, there are no other sounds exactly like the rumbling, hissing and roaring that accompany an explosion of molten rock and the streams of lava that follow. Since the 19^th of September, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, one of the main Spanish Canary Islands, has been erupting with several streams of lava flows that have covered over 3,000 acres, destroyed around 2,900 buildings and forced thousands of people to abandon their homes. The tens of thousands of people still living on La Palma, as well as holiday visitors who want to witness the volcano, are attentively waiting to see if there are indeed big cracks beginning to show in the volcano that could possibly indicate its future collapse. Over 20 years ago, an academic paper suggested that such a collapse could cause a mega-tsunami that would be so powerful that it would affect the Eastern coastline of North and South America. But there are many experts that question if that would even be possible as there is no geological evidence to such a theory and that not only does a tsunami seem unlikely but that a collapsed volcano on the Canary Islands seemed just as unlikely. But a tsunami is still a slight possibility for La Palma and although the theory of a mega-tsunami has no merit, the idea that any tsunami would be devastating to La Palma as well as the other main Canary Islands is a very real potential risk that is being closely examined.

Some people on the island may look at the erupting volcano as a thrilling adventure, some as a tragic force of Mother Nature that has decimated their homes and others as a trigger for their anxiety of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sometimes that fear will make people imagine sounds that are indicating the cracking of the volcano and make them wonder if it is worth it to abandon their homes as a gigantic tsunami wave can arrive quickly and wipe out every living thing in its path. The Canary Islands, which are technically part of Spain but physically much closer to Africa, are unique as a wine region for so many reasons and this latest challenge of the potential ramifications of an erupting volcano that has been going for almost three months as well as a stream of lava pouring into the Atlantic ocean is the latest in the immense challenges they face as a wine region known to very few who haven’t visited them.

Seven of the Canary Islands make commercial wine with the island of Fuerteventura having their first legally instated winery starting just a few years ago yet there are two islands whose wines are most seen in exports markets: Lanzarote island and Tenerife island.

Lanzarote Island

Vines planted in La Geria on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands
Photo Credit: Bodega Los Bermejos

The Lanzarote island is under one wine appellation designation called Lanzarote DO as the island of Tenerife is the only one with more than one sub-appellation designation. A volcanic eruption that lasted several years, almost 300 years ago, made Lanzarote a place that even today seems like a visit to another planet. Black lava covers a quarter of the island including what was once some of the most fertile soil making it today inhabitable for most vegetation yet in the sections where there is a thinner layer of lava, vines can be planted as their roots are able to reach the soil underneath the black ash to take in the necessary nutrients to survive. It is interesting to think of the current erupting volcano on the La Palma island and the idea that a significant amount of its landscape may end up mirroring that of the black ash covered section on Lanzarote. Right now most quality producers on La Palma make wines in quantities that are too small to be exported but hopefully that will change in the future although this year has been one of the most challenging according to wine expert Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein; not only have many of the vineyards been damaged by “lava flow or ash” but a heatwave in August “destroyed between 80 to 90% Malvasia grapes” as Evan drew attention to the reporting in Decanter which noted such facts.

Lanzarote has a unique training system called hoyos which includes digging sloping holes into the black lava so not only can the roots easily reach the soil underneath the black lava but that it also provides protection from fierce winds; Lanzarote’s subtropical-desert climate is slightly cooler during the summers compared to the other islands although it is the windiest and driest. A rock wall that is built around each hoyo also assists in combating the intense winds. Newer vineyards are planted where there is a shallow layer of black lava and so vines can be planted in trenches with rock walls lining them and although the newer vineyards can producer slightly higher yields than those in the hoyos, it is still low in comparison to the rest of the world’s average yields.

Ferran Centelles and Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein
Photo Credit: Mikhail Lipyanskiy

Ferran Centelles, who was a sommelier at the world-renowned El Bulli for 13 years until it closed (El Bulli was the Adrià brothers’ legendary restaurant in Catalonia, Spain that was voted the world’s best restaurant for many years in a row), noted that “some of the most expensive land for vineyards in Spain” was in the Canary islands due to the complications of the place as well as luxury hotels willing to pay a high price for land. But despite having such a high overhead and an overall unique quality, the wines of the Canary Islands have been generally under-priced. For example, the most commonly found wine from the Lanzarote island is from Bodegas Los Bermejos and it is called Malvasía Volcánica Secco which retails around $20. But as time goes on, a few producers are commanding higher prices for special bottlings as they know that it is the only way for quality wine to survive in the Canary Islands.

Tenerife Island

Ferran explained that the Canary Islands have a climate that is more similar to the country of “Columbia than any place in Spain” yet the tropical climate is moderated by intense winds and vineyards planted at higher altitudes; actually the island of Tenerife has some of the highest vineyards in Europe that go up to 5,250 feet compared to the highest in Switzerland, often noted as having the highest vineyards in Europe, which only reach 3,800 feet. Tenerife is much more of a tropical paradise compared to the otherworldliness of Lanzarote but since it is the largest island among the Canary Islands it has different micro-climates, hence five different sub-regions are designated for wine, and its climate can generally be broken up into a major difference from the north to the south. Actually Tenerife is the home to the fourth-highest volcano in the world, called Mount Teide, and it is so massive that it does affect weather patterns as the clouds get trapped by Mount Teide making the northern wine sub-regions wetter and cooler and the southern sub-regions drier and hotter.

Vines planted on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands
Photo Credit: Bodegas Tajinaste

But Tenerife is also the home of a quality wine revolution with wine producer Juan Jesus, a native of Tenerife and a fourth generation grower, leading the way. Juan juggles teaching classes as a professor of viticulture and enology who is also assisting the Rovira and Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain to study, catalog and preserve the indigenous varieties of the Canary Islands with being a grape grower and winemaker. “Juan Jesus was the first to propose single varietal wines in the Canary Islands,” explained Ferran Centelles. Placing a stronger focus on understanding each variety by bottling 100% of that grape was important in understanding the best way to grow and vinify each grape variety, hence making even the wines that were made out of a blend of varieties that much better. Native grape varieties such as the Vijariego Blanco are only known today because of the work of Juan Jesus and his winery Bodegas Viñátigo.

The Greatest Fear Dominates

Everyone around the globe is living during unprecedented times as a pandemic still rages on with new mutations and a seemingly endless amount of new challenges yet such an event that could never have been foreseen by most is making many people question their choices in life. As the Great Resignation of people leaving their jobs in droves is making employers offer better pay and flexibility to retain talent, it makes one think how many people stayed in jobs that made them miserable or even were detrimental to their mental health simply because they were afraid; afraid of an unknown future of being able to support themselves, afraid of having no sense of purpose according to society’s standards if they were to push back against an unhealthy work culture. Yet the pandemic turned everything on its head as those who did everything right in life lost their job, their business, some even lost their lives when Covid first ambushed the world. And those that survived with their lives, health, jobs or business intact witnessing the immense tragedy of it all decided that they were tired of their lives being driven by minuscule fears when they didn’t even think to fear one of the worst things that actually ended coming true… a global pandemic.

And the Canary Islands wine regions find themselves looking at the slight risk of a tsunami that seems just as unlikely as a global pandemic and certainly the odds are with them that it will not happen. But instead of waiting for one of the worst disasters imaginable to happen so one can realize what is important in life, there are some producers who are already taking a stand; they will not allow luxury hotels to wipe out all the vineyards and native grape varieties. There are some wine producers who will put it all on the line to invest in Canary Islands’ quality wines and find a place for their beloved vineyards and varieties among the hearts of wine drinkers around the world. Because the fear of failure, or fear of great financial loss or even the fear of a natural disaster of epic proportions are all nothing compared to their greatest fear of having the potential of their vineyards and varieties never known.

***This article was originally published in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/12/15/wines-made-on-spanish-islands-with-erupting-volcano-and-tsunami-warning/

***The photo below as well as the second from the top are credited to Mikhail Lipyanskiy. Please checkout his photography via his website or Instagram page.

Wines from the Canary Islands tasted at the 27th Annual Spain’s Great Match in NYC
Photo Credit: Mikhail Lipyanskiy

2020 Bodegas Los Bermejos, Malvasia Volcanica Secco, Lanzarote DO, Lanzarote Island, Canary Island: 100% tank-aged Malvasía Volcánica. Malvasía Volcánica is considered a native variety that is a cross of Malvasia di Lipari and Marmajuelo. This white wine has a nose of saline minerality with hints of lemon confit and fresh acidity on the palate with wet stones and citrus blossom on the finish.

2019 Bodegas Viñátigo, Vijariego Blanco, Ycoden Daute Isora DO, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands: 100% Vijariego Blanco. Ferran Centelles notes that Bodegas Viñátigo wines, even a white wine like this one, have great aging potential. An excellent backbone of mouthwatering acidity with complex notes of fresh sage, chalky minerality and lemon blossom that had a linear energetic body with a lemon zest lift on the finish.

2020 Suertes del Marqués ‘Trenzado’ Valle de la Orotava DO, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands: White blend of Listán Blanc, Pedro Ximénez, Vidueño and other grape varieties. Another favorite producer by Ferran Centelles who stated that this wine producer “touches the wines like no one else in the Canary Islands.” Smoky minerality with roasted almonds and crisp acidity that had juicy peach flavors.

2018 Bodegas Frontón de Oro, Tintilla, Gran Canaria DO, Gran Canaria Island, Canary Islands: 100% Tintilla which is believed to be related to Trousseau which is an old variety that originates from eastern France. The Gran Canaria island is one of the other main islands where wine is made. Black pepper and fresh rosemary on the nose that creates a very aromatic red that is accompanied by a nimble body with flavors of blackcurrants.

2020 Bodegas Monje, Tinto Hollera Carbónic, Tacoronte-Acentejo DO, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands: 100% Listán Negro is a red native grape variety of the Canary Islands and it is a cross between Listán Blanco and Negramoll. Hollera is the name of the vineyard from which the fruit for this wine comes; 40-60 year old Listán Negro vines, fermented with semi-carbonic maceration technique. Bright candied red fruit that is balanced by broken earth and savory spices with round tannins and good mid-palate weight.

2019 Bodegas Tajinaste, Valle De La Orotava Tinto Tradicional, Valle de la Orotava DO, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands: 100% Listán Negro. Agustín García Farrais is the third generation running this island winery and one-fifth of the fruit undergoes carbonic maceration. Black cherries and graphite make this wine really intriguing right off the bat with juicy fruit and some structure to the tannins that give it a beautiful elegance.

2018 Sortevera, Tinto, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands: Red blend of Vijariego Negro, Listán Negro, Listán Gacho, Mulata, Moscatel Negra and Tintilla. A wine that has gained favorable attention by international wine critics as it is a collection of different vineyards that contain ancient field blends in Taganana located in the northeast of Tenerife. Smoldering earth with ripe blackberries and crushed rocks that has an enticing floral note in the background with finely etched tannins. This is one of the fine wines that is emerging from the Tenerife Island and it is a new joint venture between Suertes del Marqués (the third wine producer listed in the tasting notes above) and grape grower Alonso Ramos from Taganana in the northeast of Tenerife, who had started working with Envínate which is one of the most outstanding producers in Spain right now let alone the Canary Islands.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Canary Islands, Spain, Volcanic Wines | Leave a comment

Two Great Wine Estates That Are Part Of Portugal’s Wine History

Posted on December 9, 2021 by damewine

2007 Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

In 1882, when Andrew James Symington first traveled from Scotland to Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, it would not only become a new adventurous chapter in his life but it would be the beginning of the legacy of one of the greatest Port wine families in Portugal. Andrew initially joined the Port house Graham’s which was owned by a Scottish family before going off on his own. It would be a lesson in perseverance because although sweet fortified Port wines would have bouts of extreme popularity with the British, as England had on and off economic wars with the French – their main supplier of wine, the steep slopes of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, where the vineyards for Port are located, were treacherous to work as well as treacherous to travel to and from as there was no infrastructure built and so getting the barrels of wine to the main port cities such as Porto, so they could be shipped to England, became a momentous achievement each time the barrels made it unscathed.

It speaks to the adventurous spirit of Andrew that he stayed and luckily for the world of Port that remarkable attribute was passed on to four future generations of Symingtons that would not only carry-on his legacy but expand upon it to produce some of the most sought after fortified Port wines, as well as excellent non-fortified red wines from the Douro Valley.

2007 Quinta do Vesúvio Vintage Port
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

Andrew James Symington eventually bought the Port house Warre’s; the next generation of Symingtons acquired Dow’s and then the next bought Graham’s and finally the current generation in charge acquired Cockburn’s and so each generation has helped to add to what is considered today a Port family dynasty where one out of three bottles of “really good Port sold worldwide” belongs to the Symington family, according to the current CEO of Symington Family Estates, Rupert Symington.

Part of the Symington portfolio includes the cherished estates of Quinta do Vesúvio and Quinta de Roriz with the former still using the centuries-old method of treading the grapes in granite stone tanks called lagares and the latter bought in partnership with Bruno Prats, former owner of the legendary Château Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux. These estates are not only revered for their Port wine but for their outstanding non-fortified red wines as well as each of these estates express a special sense of place and a multitude of complexity which has helped build the reputation of the Douro as a great red winemaking region.

Quinta do Vesúvio and Quinta de Roriz

The Douro Valley has come a long way since the Symington’s legacy was first established as roads were constructed and dams were built which allowed much more activity on the river in regards to getting wine barrels to port cities as previously only the rabelo flat-bottomed boats were able to handle the shallow waters of the Upper Douro. But Rupert Symington remembers his father James talking about making Port as recent as the 1960s and even at that time the remote farms in the Douro did not have electricity as the places outside the main towns only just received electricity in the 1970s and so the Symington Port wines were made by using candlelight and gaslight as well as all the wines having their grapes crushed by an old traditional practice of locals stepping on the grapes in sync with music while it fermented into wine; the foot trodden practice for the most part is no longer practiced with an exception of a few special bottlings of Port or at a couple of wineries such as Quinta do Vesúvio. But as time has gone on more modern equipment has made it possible to raise the overall quality as well as make top quality non-fortified red wines possible that was also assisted by understanding the native grape varieties and various types of soils, aspects and micro-climates of the various vineyards in the Douro. Yet the painstaking process of building and maintaining dry stone wall terraces carved into the foothills of the mountain ranges are still a vital and costly part of grape growing in the Douro Valley.

Charles and Rupert Symington
Photo Credit: Symington Family Estates

Rupert’s cousin Charles Symington, who is head winemaker at Symington Family Estates, argued that they have the “most expensive grapes in the world” to grow considering the extremes of temperatures, which can go from freezing in winter to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer, low rainfall, low yields and large amount of manual work, as it is nearly impossible to mechanize any aspect in their vineyards, all add up to a huge overhead just for the viticulture work alone. The Symington family has even gone as far as using drones that carry infrared thermal cameras that can assess the vigor of their vineyards which helps them to improve the way they plant their vines, as there are several native red varieties that vary in their preference in altitude and direction as west, north and east facing vines can be achieved in the curved terraced vineyards of the Douro, and it can also inform them of when plots will ripen. Although many of the different grape varieties play an important role there are no two more important varieties in the Douro, according to Charles, than Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca and he further noted that the Quinta do Vesúvio and Quinta de Roriz estate wines beautifully illustrated how well these two varieties complemented each other.

Touriga Nacional has good freshness, acidity and structure with spicy notes; alternatively, Touriga Franca does not have as much acidity yet has softer tannins and a lovely floral note. Simply put, “Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca are the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot of the Douro,” explained Charles.

2017 Prats & Symington ‘Chryseia’
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Quinta do Vesúvio and Quinta de Roriz blends rely heavily on these two varieties but interestingly, these estates are located in two different sub-regions of the Douro Valley. The Douro has three sub-regions but two of them are best known for quality wine: Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. The Quinta de Roriz estate is located in a sub-region of Cima Corgo, in the central area of the Douro Valley, where most premium Port originates within the classic schist soils yet in the Roriz estate there is a presence of tin and gold tailings from the old mines that give a “distinctive minerality”. The Quinta do Vesúvio estate is located in the Douro Superior sub-region, which is the most eastern area that actually shares a border with Spain and it also has porous schist soils over granite bedrock yet it is the driest and hottest of the sub-regions and although proximity to the Douro River, plantings at high altitudes and orientation of the vines helps to bring balance to the grapes, Vesúvio will many times display more power in its wines.

Heart Belongs to Adopted Home

These two estates are precious to the Symington family as they really represent their evolution from merchants to wine producers to finally vineyard growers as well as their generational commitment to the Douro Valley that includes investing in two historical estates that could have fallen by the wayside and been lost forever. The Symington family and their wine businesses in the Douro Valley have survived the Great Depression, two World Wars and a long stretch of economic and political instability in Portugal, and although at some moments in time it was as if they could barely keep their heads above water while holding these great Port houses over their heads figuratively, they made the sacrifices they had to make as the Douro is in their blood and it is vital that they keep the beautiful aspects of the Douro Valley alive while building a better future for everyone, whether be it their own family or the families of their workers, which is noted by their certified B Corporation status that commits to such intentions.

And the challenges of Covid have certainly thrown a great amount of uncertainty that has had intense ups and downs and no real end in sight but the Symington family seems to be made for such times as Rupert spoke about how difficult the times were after World War II and that his family had to sell off assets just to stay afloat. During that time, his grandfather didn’t take a salary for many years but they made it through and kept their roles as guardians of these vineyards – some of the most fiercely challenging vineyards in the world. But one of the most gripping challenges for Rupert in particular has been the loss of his father last year yet it only reinforces the importance to find ways to weather through this storm as he needs to do so for the next generation like his father did for him, especially considering his son Hugh just joined the family business a few years ago.

The hardships over these several decades have been balanced by the enormous amount of wonderful memories made as despite many of the Symingtons receiving their formal education in England, their hearts are in the Douro where their kids spend time with their grandparents during the summers and where there is a sense of community that is intrinsically part of their family; many of them admitting that although they feel privileged to be given the numerous opportunities to travel around the world, there is nothing like it when they can spend significant time in the vineyards and the cellars of the Douro Valley… that is home. A home where they have been a part of keeping a way of life, traditions and a viable economy going for over 100 years and hopefully for many more decades to come.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/12/04/two-great-wine-estates-that-are-part-of-portugals-wine-history/

2007 Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

The following are Port fortified wines from the 2007 vintage which was considered one of the coolest in recent history according to Rupert and Charles Symington.

2007 Quinta de Roriz, Vintage Port, Douro Valley, Portugal: Bright red fruit with sweet tobacco leaf and spice cake intermixed with fresh mint and candied cherry on the palate that finished with cigar and gravelly notes.

2007 Quinta do Vesúvio, Vintage Port, Douro Valley, Portugal: More wild herbs, forest floor on the nose and sweet fruit flavors on the palate with flavors of black forest cake lifted by eucalyptus notes.

2018 Symington Family Estates
Pombal do Vesúvio
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

Non-fortified premium red wines sourced from the above estates:

2017 Prats & Symington ‘Chryseia’, Douro Valley, Portugal: This wine is a blend of 75% Touriga Nacional and 25% Touriga Franca from the Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz estates which are both located in the central Cima Corgo sub-region. A hint of that mint character alludes to that same quality found in the 2007 Port with dried flowers in the background and fleshy red fruit with round tannins that finishes with a smoky minerality – elegant and fresh.

2017 Symington Family Estates, Quinta do Vesúvio Tinto, Douro Valley, Portugal: 56% Touriga Franca , 41% of Touriga Nacional and 3% of Tinta Amarela. This is an estate red that comes only from the Quinta do Vesúvio property in the Douro Superior sub-region. Darker fruit right off the bat with black cherry preserves and a denser, deeper body with lots of concentration and a powerful structure that had hints of crushed rocks and lilacs on the finish.

The below wines are second wines to the above bottlings and they are real bargains retailing around $30 compared to the above wines which average around $90.

2018 Prats & Symington, ‘Post Scriptum de Chryseia’, Douro Valley, Portugal: 58% Touriga Nacional, 39% Touriga Franca and 3% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo). A second selection of the Chryseia bottling. So much finesse and elegance with this wine and quite impressive considering the price; savory spice with cumin and earthy chili peppers that had hints of more uplifting anise seed notes with bright red cherries and hints of gravel undertones that had finely laced tannins.

2018 Symington Family Estates, Pombal do Vesúvio, Douro Valley, Portugal: 58% Touriga Nacional, 39% Touriga Franca and 3% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo). This is the second wine of the Quinta do Vesúvio estate. This is a much bigger wine yet the silky tannins give a soft texture that is immediately pleasing with lush cassis and licorice flavors with lots of upfront fruit balanced by grounded notes such as wild mushrooms that then lift on the finish with hints of cloves and black pepper.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Douro Valley, Port, Portugal, Symington Family Estates | Leave a comment

An Italian Wine Known For Its Style Brings Focus To Single Vineyard Sense Of Place

Posted on November 18, 2021 by damewine

‘Famiglia Pasqua’ Amarone della Valpolicella Photo Credit: Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa

The finest red wine grape bunches of the season were carefully harvested by hand by an elderly couple and their adult children as their small grandchildren watched the work that one day would be at the core of their existence. For this particular wine producing family, they took pride in hanging the grape bunches, one by one, on ropes that hung from the rafters of their barn as they believed that this was a much higher quality practice than laying the grapes out on straw mats which was the other way to induce the drying process (appassimento) to take place for the grapes that were destined for their much beloved Amarone della Valpolicella wine; at first it was a great way to achieve ripeness in the North East area of Italy, in the Valpolicella winemaking area outside of Verona, as full ripeness of grapes eluded many winemakers in that area in the past.

The dry Amarone red wine made from passito (dried) grape bunches is unique in the wide world of wine and the style of wine, which became a powerful brand for a time, gained notoriety in the early 2000s as some producers received high scores from well-known wine critics as the combination of silky texture, complex aromatics and generous flavors in the best vintages were a dynamic trio that won over many Italian wine connoisseurs. Yet the popularity of this style over-shadowed the idea of the diversity of terroirs (sense of place) in the area of Valpolicella as there are not only three different macroclimates that exists in Valpolicella but there are also many valleys running north to south that have their own sense of place and many multi-generational grape growers would even be able to speak about a greater specificity of single vineyard expression.

Through time, the process of drying the grapes has become more practical and efficient by using short plastic crates where the grape bunches are positioned in a single layer and placed into a room that has fans that create a constant circulation of air. Yet it is still extremely time consuming and demands devoted growers as the grapes need to be constantly turned and checked upon as some will have faster evaporation of water than others – some producers will actually move the crates around the rooms periodically to even out the evaporation process as some areas of the room are closer to the fans.

The one thing that hasn’t changed is the grower and producer knowledge of the diversity of sense of place throughout the Valpolicella winegrowing area yet it was never a focus of marketing as the people of Valpolicella were just happy that the style of Amarone was being appreciated. But as time has gone on, the outside world largely has had no idea of where exactly Amarone wines are made and the varying qualities of its home that bestows a particular terroir or mixtures of terroirs to each wine. But today the famous family producer Pasqua (a.k.a. Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa) has taken on the mission to bring to consumers a sense of place from their beloved Valpantena section of Valpolicella, where they founded their winery almost a century ago, with a release of single vineyards in the style of Amarone as well as its sibling style Ripasso.

Organically Grown Single Vineyard

Alessandro, Umberto and Riccardo Pasqua
Photo Credit:
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa

Riccardo Pasqua, family member and CEO of Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa, announced that his family had not only decided to release a single vineyard in the Amarone and Ripasso style of wine but to source from a vineyard that has been organically farmed for the whole lifespan of the vines. The Amarone style is made by the crushing and fermenting of dried grapes and its sibling Ripasso (meaning “repassed”) is produced by using the lighter red Valpolicella wine, made from the same native grapes but it is made from fresh grapes, as a base to then add to the Amarone marc (the skins left over from the pressing of the Amarone dried grapes) and that Valpolicella base wine which is of “Superiore” quality continues to ferment with the marc to a richer, more complex wine called Ripasso yet not as rich or complex as the original Amarone.

The single vineyard that the Pasqua has chosen is called Cascina San Vincenzo which is located high up on a hill in the Valpantena section of the Valpolicella wine region, 985 feet high, and it is run by friends of the family that have kept it organic for 20 years – the whole lifespan of the vines. For the past 12 years the Pasqua family has worked with this plot observing over time if it was expressing a favorable distinctive sense of place that would be worth single vineyards status and Carlo Olivari, oenologist for Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa, noted that there was a consistent “elegance” and “lightness” as well as “not too much muscle” that characterized this plot.

Carlo compared the 2017 Cascina San Vincenzo single vineyard Amarone with the 2017 ‘Famiglia Pasqua’ Amarone that includes a blend of a handful of vineyards from the Valpantena area, as well as comparing the two 2019 Ripasso equivalents. The Cascina San Vincenzo single vineyard Amarone and Ripasso wines had brighter aromatics with red fruit and minerality opposed to the ‘Famiglia Pasqua’ darker and earthier flavors that had a broader shoulder structure. Cascina San Vincenzo is higher in altitude than any of the vineyards used in the ‘Famiglia Pasqua’ blend as well as having a dominant component of limestone in the soil.

It is a comparison of the “soloist” versus “the orchestra” as Riccardo Pasqua explained as the multi-vineyard blend of ‘Famiglia Pasqua’ certainly benefits from the Pasqua family getting to choose the best from each plot depending on the vintage but that an excellent “soloist” such as the Cascina San Vincenzo vineyard needs to be given its own spotlight as well as bringing a stronger attention to the idea of terroir from Valpolicella vineyards.

Style Enhancing Sense of Place

Vineyards in Valpolicella
Photo Credit: Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa

As gaining a decent amount of ripeness is no longer the biggest issue in Valpolicella, although they will still be challenged by cooler vintages here and there, there has been more of a focus to shorten the drying period for the grapes of Amarone to make sure the wines are not too heavy as well as using more native grapes that bring acidity and freshness to the blend. And there has even been discussions whether the traditional practices for Amarone, which are still extremely labor intensive, make sense in modern times.

The Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), a research center that studies vineyards and winemaking as well as other agro-food chain products, has discovered evidence that suggest drying the Amarone grapes enhances a stronger sense of place. It was discovered by various tests that the main native red grape variety used in the wine, Corvina, goes through various genetic alterations during the drying process and when comparing different vineyards to each other it was the wines that came from dried grapes that had more distinct qualities linked to the sites when single vineyard wines were tasted side by side as opposed to fresh Corvina grapes that weren’t dried.

The Amarone wines in this research suggests that the drying process brings a complexity that is associated with the site that cannot be achieved without such a process and so this wine is the ultimate expression of sense of place for Valpolicella producers.

When Amarone was first gaining popularity it was during the time when wine producers were told that to find success in export markets one had to develop a brand, as brands were immediately recognizable and assured wine consumers that they were buying a trusted product and in a way just the word Amarone became a brand. Yet as information has become more accessible, there is a movement to know more about the people, the place and the culture behind the wines and to have that wine express all those elements. Whereas at one time producers, especially those in Valpolicella, were told that the outside world didn’t care so much about the terroir of their vineyards, unlike Burgundy producers in France, it was the branding of the style that mattered, but today Pasqua understands that there is an opportunity to talk about their special vineyards in Valpolicella and how their styles of wine, such as Amarone and Ripasso, enhance their precious land.

If only those grandparents who passed on their vineyards in the 1980s and 1990s could see how things have drastically changed as gaining international fans is no longer solely based on a corporate idea of a brand that was disconnected from their multi-generational vineyards as well as the stories of their sweat, blood and fierce tenacity that went into creating such wines. Today Valpolicella producers can finally talk with pride to a willing international crowd of the people, place and yes the styles of wines too; but the styles no longer take center stage but instead they are there to highlight the extraordinary vineyards and people that make these wines, Amarone and Ripasso, like no other.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/11/11/an-italian-wine-known-for-its-style-brings-focus-to-single-vineyard-sense-of-place/

The below wines were tasted during a master class at the 2021 Milano Wine Week in New York City.

Ripasso Wine Comparison

2019 Pasqua, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC,
Single Vineyard
Cascina San Vincenzo Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2019 Pasqua, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC, Single Vineyard Cascina San Vincenzo, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy: 60% Corvina, 30% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella from the organic vineyard Cascina San Vincenzo in the Valpantena area of Valpolicella. This wine was singing with lifted bright red cherry aromas that were laced with minerality that had beautiful red fruit and baking spices on the palate combined with fresh acidity along the expressive finish.

2019 Pasqua, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Superiore ‘Famiglia Pasqua’, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy: 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone and 10% Negrara from the Valpantena area of Valpolicella. Dark fruit immediately on the nose that was more reserved with added notes of wet clay and dried herbs that had a lot more structure.

Amarone Wine Comparison

2017 Pasqua, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Single Vineyard
Cascina San Vincenzo Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2017 Pasqua, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Single Vineyard Cascina San Vincenzo, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy: 60% Corvina, 30% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella from the organic vineyard Cascina San Vincenzo in the Valpantena area of Valpolicella. Fresh sage note with blackberry and ripe red strawberry on the expressive nose that had zingy cranberry notes on the palate with complex notes of forest floor and river stones that had a fine texture with a long aromatic finish.

2017 Pasqua, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG ‘Famiglia Pasqua’, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy: 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Corvinone and 5% Negrara from the Valpantena area of Valpolicella. Brooding nose with black plum and blueberry preserves with dusty earth and muscular tannins with tobacco and cigar box.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Amarone, Italy, Ripasso, Single Vineyard, Valpolicella, Veneto | Leave a comment

The Iconic Wines From Spain Produced By Embracing The Failures That Lead To The Path To Perfection

Posted on November 10, 2021 by damewine

A young Spanish man from a family with an extremely successful business tried to define his life during his college years. His keen mind, filled with a strong curiosity for a wide range of subjects, at first put him on the path to becoming a doctor yet it is the law and law school that would ultimately take over his studies. During this time his family purchased a historically famous winery called Bodegas Vega Sicilia in the region of Ribera del Duero, in Spain, and so after law school this young man’s father asked him to run the winery. It could have easily become an impossible assignment as although Vega Sicilia was already an iconic estate founded in 1864, through time the vineyards became neglected and the neighboring wine region Rioja garnered more fame globally as a region as a whole over the years; the railroad built in the 1800s that connected Rioja to two important port cities gave it an advantage over other Spanish wine regions. Most other young men put in that position would have just kept the status quo – resting on the laurels of the fame of the estate while pursuing other interests on the side but instead he ended up devoting his life to the continual journey of finding perfection, if it does exist, becoming one of the greatest visionaries in the world of wine.

Pablo Álvarez

That young man who ended up taking over Vega Sicilia in 1985 was Pablo Álvarez who admits that despite liking wine he was “unfamiliar with the wine world” and so at the time, the winery’s long-time director, Jesús Anadón, helped him to understand the workings of the winery and most importantly, the vineyards. It was a “big responsibility” for Pablo especially considering he had just graduated from law school but he says that he was lucky enough to “fall in love” with the wine world and through all the intense ups and downs it was that love that has always grounded him when tough decisions had to be made; high quality standards would be maintained at all cost even seeming a little extreme to outsiders at times.

Vega Sicilia Estate Vineyard
Photo Credit: Tempos Vega Sicilia

From the very beginning it just made sense to Pablo to start to work organically in the vineyards, discontinuing the use of herbicides and chemical fertilizers starting in 1985 which was certainly shocking to his neighbors back in the ‘80s. Another thing that was surprising was how much effort and money he put into the vineyards considering that Vega Sicilia already had a loyal following but he saw that the vineyards could be so much more and so he replanted where it was needed, choosing the best Tempranillo clones within Vega Sicilia to replant – there are 24 different Tempranillo (aka Tinto Fino) clones on the Vega Sicilia estate. Also he brought in experts to study all aspects of each plot and began the slow process of understanding the best way to manage and cultivate the vines in any given vintage. “Today, after many years of effort, I am proud of our vineyard” notes Pablo as he has seen great progress through the decades and he is most proud of the people who manage it.

Tempranillo

Working in the Vega Sicilia Estate
Photo Credit: Tempos Vega Sicilia

Pablo respects the fact that Bordeaux varieties are part of Bodegas Vega Sicilia history, and so there are still old Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines on the Vega Sicilia estate that make up only a tiny portion of the blend in Unico and Valbuena 5 respectively, yet it is his deep passion for Tempranillo that drives him as he considers it to be “the finest and most elegant variety” and when it has reached an ideal maturation in bottle he says it is “the best variety in the world.” But also it is its affinity for expressing a sense of place (terroir) that also intrigues Pablo as he has not only delved into understanding each plot on the Vega Sicilia estate, as well as the rest of Ribera del Duero, but he has invested in the Spanish wine regions of Toro and Rioja and so he has taken an in-depth examination into the plots in those regions as well.

Tempranillo Grape Bunch in Ribera del Duero Photo Credit: Tempos Vega Sicilia

Pablo speaks about the different expressions of Tempranillo in different wine regions in Spain as being expressed directly in the different names it takes in the varying regions; it is Tempranillo in Rioja, Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero and Tinta de Toro in Toro. He speaks about the “expressiveness” of Toro, the “subtle” qualities and “elegance” of Rioja and the “complexity” and overall fine excellence of Ribera del Duero.

Vega Sicilia and its captain, Pablo Álvarez, has helped to bring a broader audience of fine wine collectors to Ribera del Duero appreciating the excellence that is coming out of the region as a whole as Vega Sicilia’s wine Alión reflects the diversity of Ribera del Duero as opposed to their Unico and Valbuena 5 being focused on the expression of the estate of Vega Sicilia.

Inside the Alion Winery
Photo Credit: Tempos Vega Sicilia

Striving for perfection at all costs is a legendary aspect of Vega Sicilia under Pablo’s leadership and even though he admits that he doesn’t know if perfection exists yet, that hasn’t stopped him from trying to reach it. He did not produce Unico 1992, 1993, 1997 and 2001 because it did not live up to the standard and in other years, the amount of bottles produced depends on how much of the estate fruit lives up to the quality as the production can range between 40,000 bottles to 110,000 bottles and the fruit he doesn’t use is sold off to other wineries. The same applies to Valbuena 5, which comes from the middle and lower areas of the Vega Sicilia estate slopes, and Alión, which is a selection of vineyards throughout Ribera del Duero. Alión has its own dedicated winery and each winery (Vega Sicilia – Unico and Valbuena 5, Alión, Pintia in Toro and Macán in Rioja) follow their own winery and cellaring practices depending on what helps to unlock the terroir of each wine. Pablo has even planted 50,000 cork oak trees that one day will allow them to make their own corks as well as have their own barrel cooperage at Vega Sicilia that makes 30% of their oak barrels in Spain as they can then control proper aging for the oak staves before the barrels are assembled.

Avoiding Mistakes May Stunt Evolution

One cannot help, especially after going through a tough couple of years such as dealing with the Covid pandemic, to reflect on one’s life and it becomes even more profound when there is a loss such as Pablo losing a business partner, Benjamin de Rothschild, who passed away in January of this year from a heart attack at the young age of 57. As Benjamin and Pablo joined forces to buy vineyards and build a winery in Rioja with leaving the overall management to Pablo and his team since he has the most amount of experience in Spain. But such a loss makes one think about their legacy and what they would want for the future when they are no longer able to lead. Pablo hopes that future generations in charge of Vega Sicilia and the other properties will do better than he did and that they will never lose their drive as they will have a deep love for the wine world such as he does.

And when asked if he had the chance to tell his younger self anything, what would it be, he said, “I would say to that young man now, ‘Life must be lived with all its ups and downs.’” But he would not necessarily save himself from the “failures” as he always felt the failures meant he was moving; he knows he doesn’t have all the answers and that one has to try various avenues to ultimately get on the right track. But he does admit that he would have liked to have done things faster, as to a man who is always striving for perfection it still doesn’t seem he has gotten close enough to that goal… although to the outside fine wine world, his achievements are awe-inspiring and they have no equal.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/11/02/the-iconic-wi nes-from-spain-produced-by-embracing-the-failures-that-lead-to-the-path-to-perfection/

Bottle of Vega Sicilia Unico
Photo Credit: Tempos Vega Sicilia

Tasting Notes for Tempos Vega Sicilia Wines in Spain:

2017 Alión,
Ribera del Duero, Spain
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2016 Macán, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. 2016 had a hot summer yet it was cooled off by September rains. There is a slight amount of grip that gives it a bit more power than the 2017 Macán with good mid-body weight that had black cherry flavors and some dusty earth with a hint of spice.

2017 Alión , Ribera del Duero, Spain: 100% Tinto Fino (the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero). In Ribera del Duero the 2017 vintage was cooler but had a warm, dry end to the growing season. An enchanting balance between being juicy with plenty of dark fruit and a touch of licorice yet still lots of vitality and lifted spices and pretty floral finish.

2016 Valbuena 5,
Ribera del Duero, Spain
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2016 Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 94 % Tinto Fino (the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero) and 6 % Merlot. The 5 in the name of the wine represents the fact that this wine is always aged five years in the cellar before being released onto the market. An inviting Valbuena that has plenty of lush fruit to make it immediately gratifying yet there is a lovely textural component to this wine that gives an overall elegance that is breathtaking.

2011 Unico,
Ribera del Duero, Spain
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2011 Unico, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 95 % Tinto Fino (the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero) and 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon. The ideal balance of sweet and savory with blackcurrant preserves that is taken to another level of complexity with fresh leather and bacon fat that has a wonderful textural balance as well with a good amount of fleshy fruit that is given a combination of finesse and power by finely etched tannins.

Preview Tasting Of Tempos Vega Sicilia Wines That Are Not Released Yet:

2017 Pintia, Toro, Spain: 100% Tinta de Toro (the name for Tempranillo in Toro). 2017 was a cooler vintage and so this Pintia had a lot of freshness yet it was balanced with ripe raspberry notes and layers of complexity expressed in bay leaf, tobacco and dried thyme notes that had fine tannins and a long finish with lots of finesse.

2018 Macán Clásico, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. Pablo Álvarez and Benjamin de Rothschild decided to create a first and second wine just like the great Grand Cru Classé wines in Bordeaux. This ‘Clásico’ is the second wine of Macán and the 2018 vintage was warmer than 2017 and the wines are more expressive. A mix of black and red fruit with hints of cinnamon that had supple tannins and rich black raspberry flavors on the palate with underlying notes of broken earth.

2017 Macán, Rioja, Spain: 100% Tempranillo. The first wine of Macán and from the cooler 2017 vintage. A wine with a beautiful vibrancy and purity of blackberry fruit that had hints of desert scrub with lots of focus and drive on the fresh finish.

2018 Alión, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 100% Tinto Fino (the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero). The 2018 is even juicier than the 2017 with cassis flavors and a generosity right off the bat with baking spices and sweet tobacco with firmer tannins.

Unico Reserva Especial Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2017 Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 94 % Tinto Fino (the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero). and 6 % Merlot. Pretty violet notes from the first nosing of the wine with plum and blueberry fruit with a more mineral intensity than the 2016.

2012 Unico, Ribera del Duero, Spain: 95 % Tinto Fino (the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero) and 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon. More weight and broader tannins than the 2011 with a smoky minerality and forest floor quality that makes it extremely intriguing with a long expressive finish.

Unico, Reserva Especial, Ribera del Duero, Spain: Blend of 2008, 2010 and 2011 vintages of Unico; release date will be 2022. This wine had intense concentration and power but at the same time extremely well-integrated tannins and a delicate beauty that would seem to be qualities that would contradict each other but somehow exist in harmony within this Unico Reserva bottling. No set of aromas and flavors could do it justice as it is best described as a profound experience to have such power and delicacy all in one.

2019 Oremus ‘Mandolás’ and 2018 Oremus Single Vineyard ‘Petracs’
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Oremus Wines from Hungary:

Tempos Vega Sicilia produces two dry white wines with their Oremus winery called Mandolás and the single vineyard Petracs as well as a late harvest sweet wine and varying levels of sweetness of the famous Tokaji aszú sweet wines. Pablo Álvarez is a great lover of white wines and he has tried for many years to produce a white Vega Sicilia wine in Ribera del Duero but it has not lived up to his standards and so he took the opportunity to invest in a Tokaj estate in 1993 as he loves their legendary sweet wines as well as improving dry white wines from the area. Their Oremus vineyards were classified as a “Primae Classis” in 1772 which can be equated to a first growth property (in Bordeaux).

2018 Oremus, ‘Mandolás’, Tokaji Furmint Dry, Tokaj, Hungary: 100% Furmint Dry Wine. Intriguing nose with a unique note that I can only describe as walnuts sautéing in sugar, salt and butter that had hints of anise seeds and honeysuckle with a combination of lemon custard and pineapple flavors on the palate that had a cutting acidity laced with a saline minerality.

2019 Oremus, ‘Mandolás’, Tokaji Furmint Dry, Tokaj, Hungary: 100% Furmint Dry Wine. Dried flowers with apricots and white pepper that was crisp and energetic with citrus peel on the finish.

2018 Oremus, Single Vineyard ‘Petracs’, Tokaji Furmint Dry, Tokaj, Hungary: 100% Furmint Dry Wine from Single Vineyard. The first vintage of this wine was 2017. More nuanced flavors with fennel fronds and cumin seed with zingy green mango notes that danced along the palate like a graceful ballerina.

2017 Oremus, Late Harvest, Tokaj, Hungary Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2017 Oremus, Late Harvest, Tokaj, Hungary: Blend of Furmint, Hárslevelü, Zéta and Sárgamuskotály. Orange marmalade with citrus blossom, peach pie and spicy finish and couple pair with so many different kinds of food as the acidity really off-sets the sugar.

2020 Oremus, Late Harvest, Tokaj, Hungary: Blend of Furmint, Hárslevelü, Zéta and Sárgamuskotály. Citrus blossom, tangy lemon curd with candied orange peels with mouth watering acidity.

2014 Oremus, Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos,
Tokaj, Hungary
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2010 Oremus, Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary: Blend of Furmint, Hárslevelü, Zéta and Sárgamuskotály. Caramel, burnt sugar, spicy, coconut and rich with high acidity and extraordinarily long length of flavor.

2014 Oremus, Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary: Blend of Furmint, Hárslevelü, Zéta and Sárgamuskotály. Baklava with honey syrup balanced by fierce acidity and refreshing notes of lemon sorbet and quince paste with a very, very long finish.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Hungary, Ribera del Duero, Spain, Tempranillo, Tokaj, Vega Sicilia | Leave a comment

Top Champagne House Releases 50-Year-Old Vintage Onto The Wine Market

Posted on October 27, 2021 by damewine

Piper-Heidsieck Hors-Série 1971 Cap
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Tucked away in the northern limits of wine grape growing ability, in the acclaimed region of Champagne, France, an adolescent young man is crushed seeing how much of his family’s grapes were decimated by hail as it was the second hail storm within two months. It was a tough growing season – frost during the spring, initially killing off some of the buds that would potentially become grape bunches, the cold weather lasting until June but then abruptly becoming very hot with back to back storms. As a child, the vineyards were always a magical place and no other job on the earth seemed to be as wonderful but now, approaching adulthood, the backbreaking work and feeling of helplessness as Mother Nature dictated the future of the harvest made it an overwhelming job that had its moments of despair. But for this young man there was no other path as unlike the top Champagne houses, who were the buyers of their grapes and had an image of a luxurious lifestyle and global reach, the family grape growers had a simple farmer’s life and for generations that was the only option for those born to growers.

That vintage ended up producing concentrated grapes due to the low yield as well as containing high amounts of freshness due to the long periods of cold weather and today it is being released 50 years later by Piper-Heidsieck as a special edition bottling called Hors-Série 1971 – only 2021 bottles available. This is the first offering of a new collection created by their chief winemaker, Émilien Boutillat, who took over in 2018 for award winning winemaker Régis Camus, who is purely focusing on Piper-Heidsieck’s tête de cuvée Rare Champagne, but Émilien is also the son of the Champagne grape grower who remembers the 1971 vintage like it was yesterday.

One Foot in the Old, One in the New

At 34 years old, Émilien Boutillat has already accomplished so much more than his father could have ever imagined. He left Champagne to go to university in the South of France to receive two degrees, one in winemaking and one in viticulture, and then after university he worked at Château Margaux in Bordeaux and in the region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape before he leaped off to the rest of the world with time spent in New Zealand, California, Chile and South Africa; each experience giving him more knowledge that included varying techniques in the vineyards and wineries as well as learning about various cultures and languages.

Émilien tasting grapes with Jean-Luc Corpart, Piper-Heidsieck vineyard manager, who has worked closely with the growers on behalf of Piper-Heidsieck for over 20 years.
Photo Credit: Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

After his time in South Africa he decided to come back to Champagne without any prospects but he wanted time to figure out where he wanted to ultimately build his winemaking career. After being jobless in Champagne for a while, he was offered a job in Chile that would allow him to establish himself as a head winemaker there but then that downtime at home with his family, the place where he grew up, made him think that although it was a great opportunity, one that he might regret passing up on, that he wanted to come back home for good and take his chances in Champagne. He found himself working for a couple of Champagne houses and he even became cellar master of Champagne Cattier until in October of 2018 when he was offered the job of chief winemaker and cellar master at Piper-Heidsieck. The team at Piper-Heidsieck thought Émilien was the ideal choice as he has a deep respect for the traditions of Champagne which pulsed through his blood but he also has an open-minded approach backed up with a tremendous amount of different experiences that will make it possible for him to guide Piper-Heidsieck to the next level.

And certainly Émilien has big shoes to fill as his predecessor, Régis Camus, won the title of Sparkling Winemaker of the Year eight times by the International Wine Challenge and has been a part of bringing another level of complexity to Piper-Heidsieck with the use of a high portion of reserve wines (older wines kept in Champagne houses to blend later) and seeking out special vineyards, even if not officially designed Grand or Premier Cru, that bring an overall elegance and balance to each cuvée. But Émilien already has a great start with winning the 2021 title of Sparkling Winemaker of the Year by the International Wine Challenge earlier this year.

Hors-Série 1971

Piper-Heidsieck has given Émilien the freedom to explore the past and future of Champagne with a new collection that he has created called Hors-Série that is the French name used for a magazine’s special edition and the wines from this collection will be extraordinary – each in its own unique way. The first offering of this collection is the 50-year-old 1971 vintage that has aged on its lees (particles that precipitate out during the second fermentation in bottle resulting in more complexity and texture) for over 49 years. As Émilien was talking to the Piper-Heidsieck team he discovered that the 1971 was a vintage that could be in a great spot currently as it was displaying vibrant and bright fruit notes in the past as they would taste the bottles in their cellar throughout the years. And Émilien himself was shocked at the “freshness” of the wine when he first tasted it and so he knew this would be the ideal first offering to pay respect to the past, honoring the other winemakers who each had a role, the winemaker who made it and the other two who have tasted it through the years with both deciding to hold onto it until it was in its ideal state as well as all the vineyard growers who grapes went into that bottle during that difficult vintage.

Émilien personally contributed to the wine by choosing a 2019 Chardonnay that did not go through malolactic conversion of tart acid into softer lactic acid to top off each bottle after they lost some wine once the lees were extracted during disgorgement. But his modern day slight adjustment as the current winemaker is another wink to the past as the rule for Piper-Heidsieck back in the 1970s was to only make wines that blocked malolatic as opposed to today with some lots being allowed to go through the conversion while others are not depending on what will give that particular lot of wine balance.

The Hors-Série collection will not only release back vintages but it will release wines that are considered unique in some aspect and may show recent blends with stronger winemaking choices, or display how they are combating climate change with rising temperatures, in future releases. Émilien notes that the Hors-Série collection is “a wild card” for him and he has carte blanche to do with it what he wants as long as he is respecting the characteristics and style that is important to Piper-Heidsieck.

When Émilien is asked if it was ever in the back of his mind that he would eventually come back to Champagne and become cellar master for a Champagne house, he says he could never imagine that as it was really about just taking it step by step, just feeling fortunate that he had opportunities that his father and previous generations didn’t have in the past. He could have just as easily ended up on the other side of the world helping to shape a completely different winemaking region. But in that moment of rest and reflection, when he came back to Champagne after working all over the world, he knew he needed to stay for a bit to see if it was possible for him to become a chief winemaker for a Champagne house, something he couldn’t envision when he was younger. But today he is not only the chief winemaker and cellar master for one of the top Champagne houses but he is spearheading them into the future – the son of a grape grower who all those years ago seemed limited in his life choices and what he could offer for his children’s future.

***This article originally appeared on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/10/16/top-champagne-house-releases-50-year-old-vintage-onto-the-wine-market/

Piper-Heidsieck Hors-Série 1971 Cap
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Piper-Heidsieck Hors-Série 1971 Bottle and Gift Box
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

The packaging is just as unique as what is in the bottle of the Hors-Série 1971 as the label is traditionally styled yet the cap on top has colors that point to the era of the 1970s when there was a lot of experimentation and exploration of thinking outside the box going on around the world. Each gift box is made out of 100% oak and so the colors and grain are different for each of them and Émilien notes that even though the 1971 was blended and bottled at the same time, kept in the same place and eventually disgorged at the same time, each bottle has subtle differences because the long aging time brings out varying nuances with each bottle and so that is why such a gift box is fitting. But he also assures that each bottle has been checked to make sure it is not oxidized before release as those that were found to be faulted were discarded.

Piper-Heidsieck, Hors-Série 1971: 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay from 12 different vineyards from 12 different Cru in Champagne, mainly Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards from the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs sub-regions of Champagne. Aromas of citrus blossoms with dried white flowers and flavors of lemon custard mixed with fresh lemon peel, brioche, hints of nutmeg and an underlying note of chalky minerality with a creamy texture and fine bubbles that has lots of vitality and energy on the long finish. Disgorged in February 2021 with only 2021 bottles on the market, each individually numbered; suggested retail price: $499.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Champagne, Piper-Heidsieck, Vintage Champage | Leave a comment

Texas Wines Show Adventurous Spirit And Love For Diversity

Posted on October 16, 2021 by damewine

Texas ranchers Ed and Susan Auler’s lives wound up taking a completely different course during a trip to France in 1973 while they were looking into French cattle breeds to potentially cross with their Angus herd as well as learning different ranching techniques. But the wine and food of Burgundy and Bordeaux, as well as many other regions of France, enchanted them with their charm, beauty and sense of community. They ended up becoming one of the founding families of the Texas post-prohibition wine industry as they started to make wine from test vineyards at the University of Texas and today, Susan says they still make the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc over 40 years later from those same vineyards with their Fall Creek Vineyards.

Fall Creek Vineyards Harvest Salt Lick Vineyards Photo Credit: Courtesy of Big Thirst Marketing

The state of Texas is actually a little larger (in area) than France and has as much diversity when it comes to its varying topography and so the Auler’s time in France, which they ended up traveling there every year, taught them that defining specific areas with an appellation status would be key for the future of a wine region; and hence they established the Texas Hill Country AVA (American Viticultural Area) which today is the most well-known wine area in Texas.

Susan talked about how wonderful it was to start in the 1970s as the food and wine scene was so small that everyone knew everyone and hence why legends such as André Tchelistcheff (the most influential post-prohibition American winemaker) came out to check their vineyards and told Ed and Susan that he thought it was a great idea to plant vineyards in Hill Country; today their ‘Meritus’ wine is dedicated to André as he inspired them to fully commit to investing in vineyards. In 2013 they took another major leap with their Fall Creek winery by bringing onboard Sergio Cuadra as director of winemaking, a recommendation from their friend Paul Hobbs, and his experience of working with various types of vineyards with Concha y Toro as well as working with the fine wines of Errazuriz’s Caliterra in Chile made him an ideal choice to bring out the various terroirs (sense of place) in the diverse landscape of Texas.

What started out as Fall Creek Vineyards and a couple other wineries experimenting with university plots back in the ‘70s has turned into a fast growing industry with not only adventurous people coming from all over the world to explore working the vineyards in a state that grows a multitude of grape varieties but wine tourism itself has become one of the fastest growing businesses in Texas Hill Country.

Texas Heat

Fall Creek Vineyards Harvest Sergio Cuadra
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Big Thirst Marketing

Sergio made the case for Texas as that it was mistakenly once considered a hostile place for wine grapes, and not that they don’t have their challenges like all wine regions, but that some of the varieties they work with do quite well in the heat. He makes the point that many grape varieties that are used for winemaking today can be traced to origins coming from the Middle East area around 6,000-8,000 years ago as archaeologists have found proof of winemaking existing in that area during those times. And he has compared temperature charts from those Middle East areas during those times with today’s Central Texas climate and he notes that they are very similar. So in his mind many of these grapes are made for the kind of heat that they get with summer temperatures that are 95 Fahrenheit and above during the day and 80 Fahrenheit at night in some parts of the Hill Country. Although he hasn’t proved it, he is sure that some vines have it in their DNA to adapt to the heat once it kicks in during the spring and hence why they survive the extremely hot summer months.

But with that said, Texas has a diverse climate and topography throughout and just within the Texas Hill Country in Central Texas the weather can vary from arid to humid, from cooler temperatures to fierce heat, from lots of sun to lots of overcast weather and among that is a plethora of soil types and structures that range from being relatively young to over a billion years old according to Sergio; Hill Country itself is nine million acres in size with only 1,000 acres planted with vineyards so far. And that is why Fall Creek has been able to make award winning wines from different varieties such as their single vineyard Chardonnay with lots of finesse and elegance, single vineyard Tempranillo that is earthy and complex to their ‘Meritus’ Bordeaux-blend that displays the multifaceted layers of blending sites.

But the founders of Hill Country such as Fall Creek are not the only ones getting accolades for their wines but a young startup founded by Susan Johnson with her husband Billy has received awards as well. The Johnsons planted their first grapevines in 2015 and built their winery Texas Heritage Vineyard in 2017 and then they won Best of Class for their 2018 Barbera and Double Gold for their 2018 Souzão with four other medals from the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. After 31 years in the corporate world, Susan retired and with her husband moved from Austin to Fredericksburg, the most popular wine tourist destination in Hill Country, to pursue their agricultural dreams. After a lavender farm didn’t work out, Susan decided to enroll in a viticulture program and during one fateful trip to Napa Valley, as they were on a mission to visit small, successful wineries there to mull over whether getting into the wine business was a good idea, they took the leap and purchased 3,600 vines after drinking too much great Napa wine; most people who visit Napa join a wine club but the Johnsons went all in to becoming wine grape growers.

2018 Texas Heritage Vineyard Souzao
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

The Texas state flag displayed on the Texas Heritage Vineyard label really evokes that Texas adventurous spirit, “up for anything” attitude and willingness to do the backbreaking work needed that Susan and her husband perfectly represent; although Susan’s husband still works full time, often times he is helping out in the winery during the weekends doing “cellar rat duty” and spending most weeknights during harvest time helping out in the vineyards. Susan juggles many different jobs and just one of them is working with their winemaker to decide on harvest dates, blends and which vineyards they are going to purchase as they are still waiting on many of their estate vineyards to reach a certain maturity. Despite Susan noting that they want to move towards bottling 100% Hill Country fruit, she did decide to purchase from the Texas High Plains (a huge plateau reaching up to 5,000 feet in elevation and it is drier than Hill Country with cooler nights) in the North West portion of the state this year because she couldn’t pass up working with Mourvèdre for the first time as well as Albariño – they are making an unoaked and oaked version as well as a pét-nat (low in alcohol, slightly sparkling wine that is unfined and unfiltered).

The pét-nat came about after something went wrong with one of their chillers for their tanks and so they turned their tank room down to 55 Fahrenheit until they could get someone out to fix it but because of that slight rise in temperature that tank of Albariño was right at the place it needed to be for a pét-nat and so they bottled it. It is called Spindletop after where the first major oil gusher happened in Texas in anticipation that one of the bottles may explode since the wine is unfiltered and has some residual sugar – none have exploded yet while the bottles rest in their cellar but as Susan said, “We are up for trying anything and so we will see what happens.”

Rock Star Mentoring A New Generation

Kerrville Hills Winery John Rivenburgh 2021 Semillon Harvest
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kirk Tuck

Texas Heritage brought in veteran winemaker John Rivenburgh to consult for their 2017 and 2018 vintages before they hired a fulltime winemaker and John has become one of the biggest names on the Texas wine scene. He is currently president of Texas Hill Country Wineries, a long-time advocate for sustainable practices, an award-winning winemaker and basically the guy that everyone watches to see what works and doesn’t work. Many wine producers have hired John as a consultant and he currently manages just under a couple hundred acres of vineyards in the state of Texas with 60 more acres coming under his management next year; in the past couple of years he has made around 39 varieties from 27 different vineyards for each vintage.

In 2019, John bought Kerrville Hills Winery located in the quaint, charming town of Kerrville which is a 30 minute drive south of the much more famous tourist destination Fredericksburg. But he makes the case for Kerrville being a must-see to visit as it has tons of art galleries, an old art deco theater that overlooks a river and has stunning walking trails along the river with gorgeous cypress and live oak trees, just to name a few things that make it special. “It is a cool town that is artistically and culturally one of the most advanced in Hill Country,” John said with pride. And although he admits that at first he bought Kerrville Hills, the first winery in Kerrville, so he could build up the name with some great wines to then eventually sell for a profit, he ended up falling in love with the town and people.

After he bought Kerrville Hills and felt that this was going to become his home, he realized how much he loved teaching others and so he started an incubator to help people make their Texas winery dreams come true. Then Covid hit and he talked about how “2020 was financially a pretty scary time” but the idea that he had so many people calling him because they wanted to learn how to make wine or start a winery in the middle of a pandemic was “pretty amazing”. It really showed that the Texas wine industry was on an unstoppable upward rise and it couldn’t even be halted by the coronavirus.

2021 Texas Heritage Vineyard Mourvèdre Harvest
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Robbyn Dodd Photography

Throughout his experience, John has seen some grape varieties and/or clones (different mutations of a variety) that just crash in Hill Country heat and others that are able to adapt. His philosophy is that Mother Nature will show a grower what works and doesn’t work and Texas grape growers are starting to get on a better track of what is best for various vineyard plots. And he feels that Hill Country, which has been dependent on buying a significant amount of grapes in the past from the High Plains, is becoming independent with its own vineyards and that it is on the cusp of really jumping off as its own wine region; although he admits that he will always buy grapes from the High Plains as certain grapes just do a lot better up there.

Defining Texas Wine

John has been fortunate enough to travel all over the world consulting and working with other wine producers and he understands that many wine regions hang their hat on a couple of varieties that make it easier for them to gain notoriety. But the sheer size of Texas with its great amount of diversity, Hill Country itself could be broken up into several sub-regions, really lends itself to a wide range of grape varieties being used and some grapes in his mind have done better in Texas than anywhere else in the world such as the extremely tannic grape variety Tannat. As many in the Texas wine industry know, John is basically the king of Tannat and he has worked all over the world, as well as all over Texas, helping people with their lots of Tannat. At last count he has worked with 195 different Tannats and he doesn’t use micro-oxygenation but uses other protocols for taming the tannins in Tannat that could range from maceration techniques to timing of adding nutrients to barrel aging but it is different with each plot. “Texas Tannat is like the Goldilocks of Tannat”, noted John as it has “a little bit of fruit, a little bit of acid, well integrated tannins” and he feels that they have found the one place where it does a great job on its own.

But with that said, he doesn’t want to get to the place where a wine producer has to make a Tannat or other well-known Texas wines like Tempranillo or Piquepoul Blanc, as it not only goes against the richness of the diverse topography of Texas to rest only on one variety but as John expressed, “touting our diversity is just ingrained in us as Texans.”

And as everyone else jumped on the bandwagon of making the thirst-quenching Piquepoul Blanc when John started doing it, he then decided to search for those plots that could make age-worthy white wines. And he had been working with a special plot of Sémillon that has nice freshness with beautiful fruit with some honey and spice but not too heavy that he decided to age mainly in used oak. He honestly admitted that he doesn’t know why that plot grows such a well-balanced Sémillon but it just fits into the Texas theme that once one has felt like he has figured Texas out something comes along to break that perception.

It is never going to be easy to just put Texas under one stereotype of making a certain type of wine as John noted that they break stereotypes every day in Hill Country; when people come out and it is not only the wines that challenge their perceptions but the diversity of independent thinking people, the wealth of arts and culinary delights that can be found in Austin and San Antonio and everywhere in between really surprises people in the best ways. “I know we don’t get the greatest rap outside of Texas,” said John but he promised that Hill Country was very different from what most people would expect.

But the enormous task of figuring out all the potential vineyard nuances of Hill Country, let alone Texas, doesn’t escape John as he says with an easy smile, “It may take us one hundred years” but they will eventually figure out all of those nuances and he figured it would be his children’s children that would figure it out.

Thinking back over 45 years ago, when Ed and Susan Auler were inspired by their trips to France to start growing grapes and building a winery in Texas Hill Country, one day, maybe when John’s grandchildren are leading the way with other multi-generational Hill Country wine producers, Texas will be a world-renowned wine region of its own that will inspire others with its independent and adventurous spirit and love for diversity to go against the grain.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/10/09/texas-wines-show-adventurous-spirit-and-love-for-diversity/

Fall Creek Vineyards

2019 Fall Creek Vineyards Chardonnay, Certenberg Vineyards, Texas Hill Country, Texas: 100% Chardonnay. Golden color with notes of hazelnut, pristine white peach and apricot flavors with a stony minerality that had bright acidity that was balanced by a moderately creamy texture that finished with orange blossoms. Sometimes it can be quite boring or disappointing to taste Chardonnay from emerging wine regions but I have to say that this one was quite impressive as it was perfectly balanced while hitting all the pleasure centers.

2017 Fall Creek Vineyards ‘Ex Terra’, Salt Lick Vineyards, Texas Hill Country, Texas: 100% Tempranillo. Fresh leather, dark chocolate with freshly dug earth with blueberry pie, singed thyme and finely etched tannins; a super star Tempranillo; decant for an hour.

2018 Fall Creek Vineyards ‘Meritus’ Texas Hill Country, Texas: 50% Merlot and 12.5% Petit Verdot from Certenberg Vineyards and 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon from Salt Lick Vineyards. Smoldering earth, charred oak and blackcurrants that had rich cherry flavors with hints of cigar box and savory spices that had a juicy mid-palate with some grip. A lovely homage to André Tchelistcheff; decant for an hour.

Texas Heritage Vineyard

2018 Texas Heritage Vineyard, Barbera, Texas High Plains AVA, Texas: 100% Barbera. Bright medium ruby color, red cherries, dried flowers, fresh acidity, moderate weight, good fleshy round tannins. Simply delicious.

2018 Texas Heritage Vineyard, Souzao, Texas High Plains AVA, Texas: 100% Souzão. Opaque color with hints of purple and the nose has notes of tar, cocoa powder and cherry pie balanced with plenty of earthiness with wet clay and a underlying mineral note that is lifted by the bright acidity; well-managed tannins and the wine overall has intense concentration yet wrapped up in a delivery with lots of finesse. Impressive.

Kerrville Hills Winery

2019 Kerrville Hills Winery, Sémillon, Kerrville in Hill Country, Texas: 100% Sémillon. The nose has aromas of honeysuckle, golden apples, toasted spices and roasted almonds with medium body and rich peach and apricot flavors with fresh acidity. An addictive wine.

2017 Kerrville Hills Winery, Tannat, Kerrville in Hill Country, Texas: 100% Tannat. Does not use micro-oxygenation but through maceration techniques and nutrition during fermentation he has developed a way to tame the tannins in Tannat. Deep inky color with a nose that sings of dried blueberries and boysenberry pie with a hint of vanilla bean with a mineral edge that had silky tannins and a round texture with juicy black and blue fruits, plums as well, with spice cake and crushed rocks intermixed giving more complexity. Who knew that a 100% Tannat could be so beautifully balanced?!

2017 Kerrville Hills Winery Tannat
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Barbera, Semillon, Souzao, Tannat, Texas | Leave a comment

The Woman Who Carved A Path For Fine Wines From Argentina

Posted on October 9, 2021 by damewine

Catena Zapata vineyards with snow-capped Andes Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina
Photo Credit: Catena Zapata

A sweet young woman walked side by side with her father, a man who had been her hero from as far back as she could remember, in vineyards that sat at almost 5,000 feet in elevation among the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Argentina. As the cold weather sent a chill up her spine while the sun beating down brought warmth to her face, she looked around at the land that would one day be considered one of the greatest vineyards in Argentina and one of the most intensely studied vineyards in the world. The lovely nature of this young woman made her the favorite among everyone in her family and so it was decided that this vineyard would be named after her, Adrianna, and this special piece of land would eventually become part of the realization of her father’s dream: showing the world that Argentina could make some of the greatest wines in the world.

Nicolás Catena Zapata was walking with his daughter that day and he would eventually be considered a giant in the world of wine but it wasn’t without an uphill fight as although his family winery, Bodega Catena Zapata, had been around since the late 1890s and he was already considered a living legend in Argentina, there were many in the established fine wine world who did not take their wines seriously. And as his youngest daughter, Adrianna, would be the inspiration for one of their greatest vineyards, his oldest daughter, Laura, would join him to run Catena Zapata and not only carved a path in the fine wine world but take the idea of sense of place, a.k.a. terroir, as well as the concept of ‘grand cru’ sites to another level of research and discussion.

Changing the World

Malbec row of vines in Catena Zapata’s Angelica Vineyard that was first established in 1902
Photo Credit: Catena Zapata

As Adrianna was walking in the vineyards with her father, her older sister Laura was getting her medical degree in the U.S. to which she would follow by completing a residency in a California hospital. Today, when Laura is introduced as Dr. Laura Catena, her title not only represents her dedication to education and research but also many years as a part-time emergency doctor as she balanced going back and forth to and from California and Argentina, raising her children and running one of the most respected family wineries in the world. But initially that was not supposed to happen – while she was back in university she wanted to save the world and she thought there was no better occupation to accomplish such a mission than to devote her life to medicine.

Despite looking up to her father, Laura had a desire to find her own path in the world and a woman following her own path was considered a revolution within itself as an Argentine woman in the 1990s. She became well-acquainted with the U.S. when her father Nicolás Catena Zapata spent some time as a visiting scholar of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, in the early 1980s, while Laura finished high school in California. It was a good time to take a break from living in Argentina as there was political and economic instability as well as Laura being given the chance to learn to speak English fluently, as well as eventually French, and along the way she found her way into medicine. But Nicolás needed his daughter at various times in her young adulthood to help him speak to great châteaux owners in Bordeaux, as he always admired the top wine regions of France, as well as help her father at events such as the New York Wine Experience but she was deeply bothered by the patronizing comments her father received in the 1990s that were compounded by seeing everyone fight to talk to the French and Italian producers at wine events while paying very little attention to her father even though he was considered a king in Argentina. So she found a way to balance bringing not only her family’s name to international wine conversations of fine wine but also showing the world the potential of Argentina as a winemaking country.

Research and Championing

Grape bunches in Catena Zapata vineyards
Photo Credit: Catena Zapata

When Laura officially joined her father to help run Bodega Catena Zapata in 1995, she also started the Catena Institute that same year as many things about vineyards and winemaking were based more on anecdotal information instead of facts from reliable research. One of the things that was eventually disproved was a statement from her father’s vineyard manager that said that grapes such as Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon would never ripen at high-altitude elevations like in the Adrianna Vineyard. And so Laura, with experts she had hired in varying scientific fields, went on a mission to study every aspect of the Catena vineyards and vines and followed it through to the winemaking process and final wine product. Recently the Catena Institute released a report that shows a positive sense of place being expressed in some of their top sites with the Malbec variety as she argues that the idea of terroir, or a ‘grand cru’ vineyard, should not just be associated with such legendary places as Bordeaux and Burgundy but that some of the high-altitude vineyards in Argentina, which the Catena family has been at the forefront of growing grape vines at extraordinarily high elevations, should also be considered as sites that produce distinct, complex wines that have the structure and acidity for long-term aging.

Laura’s medical background instilled in her the importance of research and data that she could use to back her claims of having high quality vineyards and also the research provides them with data that helps Bodega Catena Zapata to make the right choices along the way of vineyard management and wine cellar techniques. But when she is asked about setting up ‘grand cru’ designations for Argentina, Laura is quick to say that she doesn’t think that such a notion is a good idea at this time. First, she believes that there is still a lot to learn about climate change and the ramifications of sites that are considered top quality at this time, as they may not be considered top quality in the future, and there is also the problem of politics with allowing the most powerful wine producers in Argentina to pick the sites as they may base their choices on their own personal best interests instead of what is in the best interest of displaying the greatest vineyards of Argentina; ideally she would like it to be independently chosen designations by qualified people but at this time she doesn’t know if such a thing is possible.

Chipping Away Stereotypes

Snowy mountains behind Catena Zapata’s vineyards
Photo Credit: Catena Zapata

But when it comes to the potential of the fine wines of Argentina, Laura has no doubt that after over 25 years of research and winemaking “that certain terroirs in Argentina can make wines of elegance and character, wines that have the structure, acidity and complexity to age for several decades and perhaps even a century.” And still, to this day, she is constantly meeting with wine buyers, sommeliers and wine educators to openly discuss their own experiences with talking about the great wines of Argentina that are not officially designated compared to the officially designated ‘grand cru’ wines such as those in Bordeaux and Burgundy. Some find that a wine that has the classification of ‘grand cru’ on the label is an easy one for wine drinkers to immediately grasp as being a fine wine but, fortunately, as time goes on, more and more wine consumers are open to learning more about high quality wines from Argentina as well as other places outside of historically celebrated wine regions; although sometimes chipping away at stereotypes can be a long process that is not for the faint of heart.

Laura’s own mission of showing the potential of wines from Argentina started with her frustrations with how her father was not receiving the respect that he deserved and certainly things have changed as today he is listed among the great men who were true visionaries and advocates for their wine regions such as Robert Mondavi for Napa Valley and Angelo Gaja for Barolo and Barbaresco. Yet one could make an argument that Laura is just as deserving of such a title, although her grandfather could never imagine having a woman, let alone a granddaughter, be the visionary to take the wines of Argentina to the next level.

Laura Catena and her father Nicolás Catena Zapata
Photo Credit: Catena Zapata

After 25 years of balancing a life of living in California and Argentina, raising children and working part-time as an emergency room doctor while taking on the responsibility of creating a world marketplace for Argentina wines, she is still bringing wine professionals and scientific experts together to have complex conversations as to how wines from Argentina are viewed across the globe. She wants to hear the issues that she needs to address as she is laser focused on striving to always make sure that Argentinian wines are a valid part of the conversation and that their wines always over-deliver. Through time, Laura has realized that it was important for her to save the world where she grew up and that meant that she needed to be a part of improving the vineyards, winemaking practices and becoming a voice for a country so that children in Argentina could grow up in the vineyards like she did; making it possible for grape growers and wine producers to have a future and today she couldn’t be happier to continue to work side by side with her father to keep the wine industry in Argentina alive.

And even though Laura had retired from being a doctor, she still volunteered to help vaccinate many homeless people in San Francisco as that side of her will always be there. And this pandemic has had so many ups and downs that have included constant shutdowns and various mutations of the Covid virus that it has been difficult to avoid moments of hopelessness for many; hence why people like Laura, who jump into action to chip away at a crisis, are vital. She understands that every small step forward has to be seen as a victory to keep propelling a people forward as it is a never-ending journey in her mind to continuously evolve with the times to produce honest high-quality wines. And just as she was leading a recent discussion of the concept of ‘grand cru’ vineyards, a famous Master Sommelier used the term ‘parcela’ – a term used in Argentina to talk about great vineyard plots that express distinctive qualities – and her face immediately lit up as she knew that another big victory was won when it came to receiving the respect that the wines of Argentina so rightfully deserve.

2018 Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard ‘White Bones’ Chardonnay Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2018 Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard ‘White Stones’ Chardonnay Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2018 Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard ‘White Stones’ Chardonnay: 100% Chardonnay from the Adrianna Vineyard in the Gualtallary in the southwest wine region of Valle de Uco in Mendoza located over 4,800 feet in elevation. A real intense minerality and hence the name, with notes of wet stones and limestone minerality that had rich lemon custard and juicy white peach flavors on the palate.

2018 Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard ‘White Bones’ Chardonnay: 100% Chardonnay from the ‘White Bones’ plot which is right next to the ‘White Stones’ plot in the Adrianna Vineyard and the differences in these wines really shows diversity of place. There is a distinctive herbal character that cannot be compared to any other herbaceous wine and it gives it a more aromatic quality as well as the wine being more linear on the palate with an intense energy that finishes with citrus peel, white flowers and more of a crumbly limestone. Laura said they are still studying where this herbal note comes from in this plot.

2017 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard ‘Fortuna Terrae’ Malbec
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2017 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard ‘Fortuna Terrae’ Malbec: 100% Malbec from their ‘Fortuna Terrae’ plot in the Adrianna Vineyard located at around 4,480 feet. This wine is an ideal specimen for displaying the potential elegance of Malbec when grown under certain conditions. Pristine blueberry fruit with a mixture of violets and spices on the nose with complex flavors of forest floor and black fruit on the palate that was knitted together with fine tannins.

2017 Nicolás Catena Zapata
Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2017 Nicolás Catena Zapata: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc from the Adrianna, Nicasia and La Pirámide Vineyards. Laura expressed that this wine was very dear to her heart as it was named after her father as he has always loved Cabernet and Malbec blends. Layers of an array of black fruits on the nose such as cherries, black raspberries and blackberries with notes of dark chocolate and flakes of sea salt, gravelly soil and lush cassis on the palate with bright acidity and structured tannins that had a long, flavorful finish.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Argentina, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec | Leave a comment

A Napa Valley Wine Homage To Ancient Persia By An Immigrant From Iran

Posted on October 2, 2021 by damewine

Darioush Estate Dinner Sunset
Photo Credit: Darioush

As the sun began to rise and shine its rays of warmth on the hot southern coast of Iran, a Range Rover started to drive towards the cooler areas of the country before the heat started to accumulate. In the backseat with his sleeping bag was a young civil engineer, Darioush Khaledi, who had started a construction business with two of his classmates from Tehran Polytechnic. Darioush had two drivers tag teaming to continually drive him to their over 20 construction sites around Iran, the sleeping bag was for the few cat naps he could catch here and there between the longer drives. It was an exciting time for these young engineers as they went from their first government contract for $100,000 to eventually $500 million in a matter of eight years.

After eight years of never taking a real break from his construction business, Darioush’s wife was able to get him to travel with her to California to visit her sister in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles. All it took was experiencing the breathtaking sunset at one of the oceanfront restaurants to instantly fall in love and Darioush was determined for he and his wife to buy a house in Los Angeles and find a path to American citizenship. Back then, one could get a green card by starting a business so Darioush took some of the money coming in from his construction business and bought a grocery store in Los Angeles so he and his wife could start their journey to becoming American citizens while traveling back and forth for a couple years between Iran and California.

For a few years Darioush and his wife lived the life of traveling back and forth between Iran and California until 1978 when the Islamic Revolution took over Iran and he had everything taken away. Darioush lost his company, his real estate holdings and all his money and so he had to start from zero again. He knew that for him to make a decent living in the grocery business he would have to buy more stores and build a chain of them within Southern California. The high interest rates in the early 1980s in the U.S. created a situation for Darioush where his profits couldn’t cover his payments on his loans so he had to sell a store here or there just to keep up with the payments; at one point a friend suggested he sell his whole grocery business, KV Mart, as it just seemed too much work to keep his head above water but Darioush noted “the word quit is not in my vocabulary.” Through time he created the largest family-owned grocery business in California.

But along the way a particular passion called to Darioush, one that was rooted in a memory of him at six years old sucking on a towel that was dipped in the wine his father made at their home in Iran. And that love of wine continued throughout his life with many trips to Bordeaux with his wife as Darioush was mesmerized by wine producers talking about the sense of place, terroir, of their wine. At first Darioush and his wife wanted to buy a château in Bordeaux as they loved the wines, the community and place but a trip to Napa Valley changed all of that.

Darioush Winery

Darioush Boulevard
Photo Credit: Darioush

Darioush and his wife, Shahpar, decided to celebrate a wedding anniversary in Napa Valley and they were completely taken with the natural beauty as well as with the wines but preferred those made in the cooler climates of Napa Valley. It dawned on both of them that it made more sense to buy vineyards and a winery in Napa which was a lot closer to their home in Los Angeles than an estate in Bordeaux, but they took a few years to get to know Napa and the landscape of the various micro-climates and varying aspects that influence different expressions of Napa Valley wine.

They ended up buying an estate a half mile south of the Stags Leap District on the Silverado Trail, the southern section of Napa, since it is cooler in climate (which was against the conventional wisdom of the 1990s) and they were able to establish the Darioush winery in 1997. When it comes to the name of the wines, Darioush says that everyone assumes that he named his winery after himself but it actually pays tribute to the Persian King Darioush, also known as Darius I, who constructed many monuments throughout the First Persian Empire around 2,600 years ago that displayed the incredible artistry and craftsmanship of the Persian people. One of King Darius I’s projects was the five palaces that were built in Persepolis, today the ruins are a World Heritage Site, and Persepolis is the inspiration for the Darioush winery that was eventually built.

As Darioush explained, hospitality is deeply rooted in the Persian culture and from the very beginning, even when they only had a double wide trailer as a tasting room, his wife decorated it with such exquisite Persian décor that many people forgot they were in a trailer. Through time he has built a stunning visitor’s center that includes many stone carved pillars that transports one back to ancient Persian times and although it is a destination grandiose winery on the top of many people’s lists as a must-see to visit, the hospitality is just as warm and inviting as if one was visiting a good friend’s home; as that is what it means to be Persian to Darioush and his wife Shahpar, to welcome people with generosity in their soul and love in their heart.

Inspired by Opportunity for All

Darioush Estate Vineyard
Photo Credit: Darioush

Darioush explained that there have been three times in his life when he has had to start from scratch and he hopes that this is the last time; such a statement begs the question of how he kept going on. He simply said that he is inspired by the people around him and that his job as chairman and CEO of KV Mart, his successful grocery chain, mainly involves recruiting and retaining good people. For him to see a worker start from the bottom, who is an immigrant who cannot speak English, to then send him to night school to learn English and then college to eventually one day give a speech in front of thousands of people as vice president of the company is more valuable than money to him. Also, he proudly noted that most of his management positions for his winery are mainly held by people who started from the bottom. Helping his employees reach their potential as well as giving back to the communities where his grocery stores are located as well as helping Napa Valley’s most venerable population have become important missions for him as he himself is grateful for what America has given him.

Learning about Darioush’s story is even more poignant during these times as many have seen the images of the Afghan people begging to be taken by U.S. soldiers as America started to leave Afghanistan recently. One such tragedy happened early on when the initial evacuations were chaotic as a young Afghanistan soccer player trying to jump on a departing U.S. military plane ultimately fell to his death. His dream was to bring Afghanistan to the national stage when it came to soccer and as the Taliban (an extremist Islamist religious and military organization) started to completely take over Afghanistan again after 20 years, that dream was being crushed – any dream that involved celebrating Afghan culture and values freely was completely crushed that day in Afghanistan itself. Those images of Americans leaving Afghanistan are heartbreaking as everyone cannot be saved and so many around the world suffer under circumstances that an American who was born and bred in the U.S. will never be able to completely comprehend.

But Darioush knows all too well how special America is and if he and his wife were trapped in Iran after the revolution, their lives would have been drastically different. But in the U.S., Darioush can introduce people to the beautiful Persian country and way of life that existed for thousands of years, before a repressive government came in, that involves 7,000 years of wine culture and the famous wine region of Shiraz (many of the stones that built Darioush were imported from quarries near Shiraz) in Iran which had 300 wineries there until the Islamic Revolution in 1979 made alcohol illegal. Today his highly-acclaimed Darioush wines and certainly the pinnacle of them, Darius II, are expressions of the great combination of an immigrant like himself being able to keep his precious culture alive because of the freedom and diversity that exists in America.

In one of the rooms at the Darioush winery there is a picture of Darioush Khaledi wearing an Ellis Island Medal of Honor that he received in 2008 that pays tribute to those immigrants who not only achieve great success in the U.S. but who are great examples of sharing their culture and adding to the rich tapestry of American life. He remembers that day like it was yesterday, as he stood there waiting to receive his medal with all branches of the American military present as the American anthem played celebrating all who were being honored that day and he was overwhelmed with the idea that such a great country would welcome an immigrant like him who lost everything at one time and all he had were “ideas in his head and a heart filled with hope”; he, in return, has been a part of adding to the greatness of America with his own immigrant story.

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/09/24/a-napa-valley-wine-homage-to-ancient-persia-by-an-immigrant-from-iran/

Darioush Wine Box
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Darioush had a partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in conjunction with the opening of the museum’s expansive new exhibition, Epic Iran. Darioush served as a sponsor of the exhibit, which was open to the public on Saturday, May 29 and ran through Tuesday, September 21, and displayed 5,000 years of Iranian art, design and culture, bringing together over 300 objects from ancient Islamic and contemporary Iran. One of just the many ways Darioush is keeping their roots alive as well as enhancing the world with Iranian art, design and culture.

2020 Darioush Signature Viognier
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2020 Darioush Signature Viognier, Napa Valley, California: 100% Viognier coming from cooler vineyard sites from the Darioush estate and Oak Knoll. Floral nose with orange blossom and jasmine that has pineapple and juicy mango on the palate with some hints of ginger and fresh acidity balancing it out.

2017 Darioush Signature Shiraz
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2017 Darioush Signature Shiraz, Napa Valley, California: 100% Shiraz from cooler vineyard sites from the Darioush estate and Oak Knoll. The decision to use the term ‘Shiraz’ over Syrah pays homage to their most well-known wine region in Iran. A good amount of weight on the body with bright blackberry fruit and hints of earth, cedar box and tobacco leaf with a long expressive finish of rich espresso notes.

2018 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

2018 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from cooler Napa vineyards on the Darioush Estate as well as in Mount Veeder and Coombsville. This was the first vintage where it was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon as they were really happy with the Cab in 2018. Complex nose of pencil lead, cocoa dust and gravelly earth that has blackcurrant fruit and fresh herbs on the palate that was finely structured with an intense energy.

2016 Darioush ‘Darius II’ Photo Credit:
Cathrine Todd

2016 Darioush ‘Darius II’ Napa Valley, California: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc sourced from their Sage Vineyard in Mt Veeder, their Apadana Block on Darioush Estate as well as in Pritchard Hill, Spring Mountain and Howell Mountain – all sites known for elegant fruit and higher retained acidity. It is best to decant this wine for at least two hours if one decides to drink it now as it takes a couple hours to open up. Enticing aromas that were multi-layered with smoldering cigar, blueberry scones, truffles and hints of asphalt that has rich red and black fruit on the palate that has silky tannins with a very long aromatic finish that left hints of lit incense lingering in one’s head; outstanding wine. Each vintage of Darius II has a different label that represents a different artistic Persian piece.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Cabernet Sauvigion, California, Napa Valley, Viognier | Leave a comment

Pinot Noir Wines Expressing Differences From Three Great Vineyard Sites Throughout California

Posted on September 25, 2021 by damewine

Landmark Hop Kiln Estate
Photo Credit: Alexander Rubin Photography

California is one of those states that provokes an array of images – pictures of jaw-dropping natural beauty that can range from the charming vineyards that are tucked within the numerous woodlands of Sonoma County to the magnificent views of the rugged central coastline in Big Sur to further down to the much visited stunning beaches of Santa Barbara. A wine producer in Sonoma called Landmark Vineyards recently compared three single vineyard Pinot Noir wines from great vineyards in these three different wine regions in California. One might automatically think that the most northern vineyard in Sonoma Country would be the leanest wine and the more southern vineyard in Santa Barbara making the richest but it is quite the opposite and it really shows the diversity of the topography of California with its various pockets that can produce a wide range of Pinot Noir excellence throughout the state.

Greg Stach first started with Landmark Vineyards 20 years ago and only took a brief break to work at another Sonoma wine producer in Russian River Valley early in his winemaking career. He was quickly called back to Landmark with an assistant winemaking position that led to him eventually becoming head winemaker. Before he started his journey as a winemaker he worked in the restaurant business as well as wine retail in northern California and quickly became a wine geek with the siren song of Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley in Sonoma County getting him hooked. Like a true wine geek, he became curious about wines from all over the world and his evident passion made many in the business around him suggest that he make the leap from wine buyer to winemaker. At first, becoming a winemaker seemed impossible as the science was too much for Greg when he first took enology classes at the University of Fresno in his early 20s but with a lot more age and experience under his belt, he went back to get his enology degree and he was back to his first love of making California Sonoma County Pinot Noir.

Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County

:Greg Stach
Photo Credit Landmark Vineyards

As much as Greg was obsessed with Pinot Noir from Sonoma County, he was also game to taste as much Pinot Noir from other wine regions in California throughout the years and as time went on, the wine areas within Santa Barbara, a place that had at one time been mainly known as a wonderful travel destination for those who wanted to avoid the crowded beaches of Los Angeles (two hours south of Santa Barbara) to take in the serene atmosphere of the Santa Barbara coastline, started to receive his attention. Over the years, various wine areas in Santa Barbara, such as Sta. Rita Hills, have made a name for themselves among wine connoisseurs as great wine growing places that were remarkably cool climate areas. In a lineup of three of Greg’s Landmark single vineyard Pinot Noir wines including one from Russian River Valley and one from Monterey, it is the southernmost of the three, the La Encantada Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara, that has the coolest accumulative weather according to Greg.

Sta. Rita Hills “is in a much more windier climate” notes Greg and not only does it give the wine brighter red fruit, he believes that the grape skins thicken as a reaction from the intense winds and so the wines will have a lot more structure.

Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County

Four hours north of Santa Barbara is one of the most photographed places in California, the Bixby Bridge which is along a section of the Pacific Coast Highway in Big Sur. The majestically over-whelming view encompasses a palette of varying shades of blues reflecting from the Pacific Ocean while surrounded by heart-stopping jagged cliffs that are brought together by an elegantly designed bridge that brings a focal point that helps one to digest the over-whelming landscape. Just a half an hour away is the wine region of Monterey County and its most well-known sub-region Santa Lucia Highlands where Greg sources Pinot Noir grapes from the Escolle Road Vineyard, in the northern section of Santa Lucia Highlands.

The Escolle Road Vineyard is cool-climate as well and it is influenced by the fog and sea breezes from Monterey Bay yet it has a longer growing season, sometimes up to a month longer, and so it will get darker fruit and a distinctive “plum” character that sometimes has added notes of chocolate. Greg noted that the owners of this vineyard are also produce farmers and so if anything goes awry, the owners can bring over a crew of 100 to meticulously handle any challenges in their vineyard.

Russian River Valley in Sonoma County

And four hours north of Monterey is the famous Russian River Valley in Sonoma County with Greg’s Hop Kiln Vineyard – he noted that once they bought this vineyard in 2016, that “Landmark bought a landmark” as Hop Kiln has a remarkable history. The label of Landmark’s Hop Kiln single vineyard Pinot Noir with hop kilns on the label points to its history as a piece of land where Italian stonemasons built these large hop kilns in 1905 so they could grow hops and dry them. Eventually a disease wiped out the hops as ideally hops should be grown in an area that freezes every winter but as luck would have it, the hop farm was right next door to the Rochioli winery and vineyards – one of the most well-respected and sought after vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Through time, the property was planted with Pinot Noir as a known superior site and it ended up in Landmark’s hands as one of their most prized possessions.

Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood, Sonoma
Photo Credit: Landmark Vineyards

The Hop Kiln Vineyard is in the Russian River Valley area called the Middle Reach which contains a who’s who of some of the most iconic producers and vineyards and it is known as well as the warmest area in the wine region. Just for contrast, Greg talked about their Rayhill single vineyard in the Sebastopol area of Russian River, one of the coolest areas, and he said that the wines were “vastly different”. But when it comes to the Hop Kiln Vineyard it is more complicated than it just being the warmest site as when it comes to temperatures “the highs are higher but the lows are lower” compared to the other two properties as Greg explained and that in general, Sonoma County, where the Landmark winery is located, will get a few days of intense heat during summer weeks but the latter part of the week will be countered by a few days of significantly cool weather as the fog is pulled in by the heat and cools things off until it dissipates; and the fog lingers for several hours more in the area of the Hop Kiln Vineyard compared to Greg’s experience at their winery in Kenwood, Sonoma County. Furthermore the Hop Kiln Vineyard is divided into different sections as the elevation varies by 300 feet from bottom to top and so some of the grapes can be richer and plusher while others more vibrant and fresh. And so the resulting wine has red cherry jumping out of the glass that is additionally highlighted with black and blue juicy fruit, sweet spice and a luxuriantly inviting body.

Greater Appreciation for What Started It All

Greg notes that his handling of these single vineyard Pinot Noir wines are similar in the winery for all three wines and includes trying to allow native fermentations when possible, using only free-run juice with no pressed wine added and small amounts of new French oak in cellaring the wines in barrel. Even when it comes to working with various Pinot Noir clones (different mutations of the Pinot Noir grape variety) in these vineyards he feels that those vines that reach ten years or older really display more of the sense of place, a.k.a. terroir, in the wine than the different characteristics of the clone. As it is really mainly about place for Greg, that is what he is always looking for in his single vineyard designates and the idea that he gets to work with one of his favorite grape varieties in different terroirs really makes this journey a constant thrilling experience.

But one cannot help but notice the extra glimmer of excitement when Greg talks about the Russian River Valley Hop Kiln Vineyard that represents where it all started for him. Tasting the wines of Rochioli was a game changer for Greg and he noted that he, like many others, started his wine journey with Pinot Noir “because it is approachable”. But after discovering Russian River Pinot Noir he went and explored the whole world, training his palate and his mental awareness of different styles and quality levels, but then he came back to Pinot Noir “because it is really the most complex red wine there is”. As what has a great appeal to many, such as the wine that everyone is fighting over at the party, doesn’t mean it is not the most complex and elegant as the idea that only wine geeks can get a truly great wine doesn’t always hold true in every wine situation. Sometimes great wines attract a diverse audience of wine lovers because it hits so many pleasure centers and just enjoying it is enough. Although for others, such as Greg, they need to taste the world of wines learning as much as they can to see what they are missing out on only to be led back to those wines in Russian River Valley that started it all… but with a greater appreciation of what these wines bring to the table.

Landmark Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Wines
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

***This article was originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2021/09/17/pinot-noir-wines-expressing-differences-from-three-great-vineyard-sites-throughout-california/?sh=6f3f29b141e6

2018 Landmark Vineyards, ‘La Encantada Vineyard’, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California: Overall pretty and elegant wine with vibrant flavors of pomegranate and cranberries with aromatic rose oil notes balanced by earthy forest floor and energetic acidity with structured tannins.

2018 Landmark Vineyards ‘Escolle Road Vineyard’, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, California: Sucks one in with its deep and dark fruit and dark chocolate flavors that has contrasting hints of citrus peel that meld together to create a chocolate covered orange slices note with a richer body than the La Encantada Vineyard.

2018 Landmark Vineyards ‘Hop Kiln Estate’, Russian River Valley AVA, California: Singing with red cherries and rich blackberry and blueberry flavors with a background of baking spice, smoky minerality and earthy morels that danced across the plush body; a sweet and savory knockout punch with an intensely mineral edge.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged California, Monterey, Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, Sonoma | Leave a comment

Spanish Family Winery Survival Saves Century-Old Ungrafted Bush Vines

Posted on September 16, 2021 by damewine

Close Up of Old Bush Vine Photo Credit:
Bodegas Piqueras

A secret garden of vineyards sit at 2,300 feet and beyond in elevation within a tiny wine region called Almansa in Spain, surrounded by limestone mountains called El Mugrón that protect the old, dry-farmed bush vines that are ungrafted as it is a place that is quite isolated from anything from the outside world. Ungrafted vines are always a remarkable sight in Europe considering that European vineyards were almost wiped out completely by an American pest called phylloxera, hence why many European grape vines are grafted onto American rootstocks to combat it. Almansa soils are mainly made up of limestone and they are poor in nutrients and the combination of having such a soil with an arid, cooler climate makes it difficult to grow anything besides cereals, olive and almond trees and vineyards that produce low yields.

It is a town that, many times, gets passed up as one drives from Valencia on the central eastern coast to the city of Madrid without the person knowing that in their rearview mirror is a special designated wine region that specializes in such unique dominant red grape varieties such as Garnacha Tintorera (known as Alicante Bouschet in France) and Monastrell (known as Mourvèdre in France). But if European wine history has taught the wine world anything it is that many wine regions were never fully discovered because there wasn’t a strong enough transportation infrastructure to assist them with getting their wines to markets in major cities and the wine regions that became popular early on were able to construct vital infrastructures to vital markets.

It is amazing that these old bush vine vineyards were able to survive in a tiny delimited wine region in Spain that had no fast track to fame, especially considering that the European Union was paying vineyard owners to pull up their vines as there was a European wine surplus – combined with these low yielding vines make it difficult to make a living when they are tragically being blended away into bulk wine; even the Spanish Civil War, from the mid to late 1930s, played a part as many of the wine producers from the small town of Almansa either died in the war or were part of the hundreds of thousands of people who just went missing during and after that time. Yet one family was able to continue on and kept these old bush vines alive: Bodegas Piqueras.

Bodegas Piqueras

Luis Piqueras started making ‘jug wine’ for his neighbors in 1915 and he was one of the few locals that had the great fortune of coming into a significant amount of money in the late 1920s and hence he was able to buy a large plot of land where he would build a modern winery over time. Luis’s son-in-law Mario Bonete went on to study winemaking and today, Mario’s son, Luis’s grandson, Juan Pablo Bonete Piqueras runs the winery with his brother continuing to strive to showcase these vineyards so they will survive for generations to come. As Juan Pablo (known as JP1) was standing in his tasting room surrounded by black and white photos of his grandfather and father, he stated that his father, Mario, established the Almansa DO in the 1960s to make sure it was recognized as a quality winegrowing area. “In fact my father was the president of the DO for more than 18 years and I was also the president of the DO for eight years,” Juan Pablo said with pride as it is very much a family mission to keep the Almansa wine region alive with his brother, nephews and soon to be his son joining the fight. And considering there are only 12 wineries that are a part of the DO and 750 grape growers with Piqueras producing over 80% of the wines from the Almansa DO, if Piqueras decided to close shop it would have a massive negative effect on the region.

Piqueras Wild Fermented Verdejo
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

The winemaker of Bodegas Piqueras, Juan P. Cantos, affectionately called JP2, is another one who has joined the fight after spending many years learning from other wineries around Spain, as well as a harvest to refine his white winemaking skills in New Zealand, and he even won a competition to become a winemaking student at the legendary Spanish winery Vega Sicilia. Interestingly enough he was born in Almansa but his winemaking dreams took him to other places until four years ago when he decided to come back home mainly due to family and friends but he discovered in the process of coming back that there was a wealth of old bush Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera vines.

Juan Cantos is very well aware that the red variety Monastrell is not only better known coming from the Southern Rhône (Mourvèdre) but also from other areas of Spain such as Jumilla and Yecla – the latter being a wine region he has already previously worked in, and that Garnacha Tintorera a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet is a rare red variety from Southern France with red flesh as well as dark skins yet has recently made a strong name for itself in Southern Portugal, its often proclaimed adopted home. But Juan Cantos makes a case for those who love these grapes, and those who are curious about them, that the Almansa wine region is a place that shouldn’t be missed but getting that message out is difficult because their budget as a wine region is severely limited due to only having a handful of wine producers in the region.

Wealth of Old Vines in a Modest Wine Region

Castillo de Almansa
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd

Bodegas Piqueras makes a few different lines of wine and the ‘Castillo de Almansa’ is the most widely distributed; one can find them in the U.S. from $12-$15 and although they are their middle tier wines, they still contain 45 to 65 year old dry-farmed Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera with the ‘Selección’ containing Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera and Tempranillo from 65 to 90 year old dry-farmed, ungrafted bush vines. Then their premium line of wines go by Piqueras such as their ‘Piqueras VS’ that contains 50% Monastrell and 50% Garnacha Tintorera from dry-farmed, ungrafted bush vines that are over a century old, and the VS is such a beloved wine that it is the only one that Juan Cantos and Juan Pablo Bonete Piqueras sign. Juan Cantos has been working on a couple of fun projects such as the ‘Piqueras Wild Fermented Verdejo’ white wine and the newly released ‘Los Losares’ which are two different single varietal wines from a single vineyard that is 3,000 feet in elevation containing a stony soil with vines that are over 80 years old; there are two bottlings, only 6,000 bottles made of each, one is from the old dry-farmed, ungrafted bush vines of Monastrell and the other with Garnacha Tintorera.

It is still a struggle to get the word out about these special vines that are off the beaten path, tucked away in this limestone mountainous area of Almansa but at least there is a producer such as Bodegas Piqueras who has been able to guarantee a paycheck for these farmers year in and year out for over a century; if it wasn’t for Piqueras, potentially all of these old, ungrafted vines and a way of life that involves traditional vineyard farming techniques would be lost as other places around the world are certainly much more famous and can command higher prices, unlike the unknown Almansa. And to think, it all came down to one day, the day that the founder Luis Piqueras bought a lottery ticket for eight pesetas and he ended up winning the equivalent of $50,000. That not only changed everything for the home winemaker to invest in building a professional winery but it changed the courses of actions that could have taken place for the entire winemaking area as the farming families would have to grub up these precious vines just so they could put food on the table. And it is only fitting that a woman who runs their administration office in logistics is the granddaughter of the man who sold Luis that ticket. A moment in time that altered the future lives of so many yet this community is still hoping to get to the next level… where the globe recognizes the value they bring to the wine world.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Alicante Bouschet, Almansa DO, Bodegas Piqueras, Bush Vines, Garnacha Tintorera, Monastrell, Mourvèdre, Old Vines, Spain | Leave a comment